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Hockey Reviews

There is one more game on this earth man..........
May 10, 2007 01:06 AM12223 Views

Novi Kapadia famous sports journalist and football specialist once said to NDTV in a show that :


“We should not go for two on-the-ground referees in football because it will take away the pace from it , cricket is a slow game so it is justified to keep a 3rd Umpire in it, but if we keep in football then it’s condition will be just like Hockey where in every 30 seconds whistles are blown and it has seriously affected the pace of the game and hence the overall interest”.  When he was answering to a question to a person who called  during the show.


Now did u took a notice of his last sentence Hockey where in every 30 seconds whistles are blown and it has seriously affected the pace of the game.


I feel that Novi was damn right and accurate in his answer justifying the need of only one referee in football,           mannn……… it has really costed the game a lot.


I wonder what would happen if the famous legend of Hockey DhyanChand comes alive again and see  fate of game nowadays , there is no second thought that his soul would be torn apart.



Hitler’s Story


Looking at the present condition of the game it becomes very hard to believe the story when Adolf Hitler himself visited to see the finals of 1936 Olympics between India-Germany in which India drubbed Germany 8-1.


It reflects that what kind of impact this game had in the past. But now ………………….. very unfortunate……………..


Sports Ministry’s Recent Action


Recently ,  the Ministry of Sports Authority of India has removed this game from the list of preferred game and has put it in general list along with football on the basis that national team has been faring very badly in this game and it is also receiving very negligible audience.


I think that it has been a very harsh step taken by Sports Ministry on hockey that use to be our national sport , football one can understand that India has not done well and doesn’t even seem to be doing well but is this fair treatment with hockey . I ask u?


Though I can’t question Sports Ministry as  it’s a very high profile issue…


Penalty Corners


Moreover the major reason which I feel that is costing Hockey it’s charm is the same , too much of whistling , mainly for penalty corners.


First of all it becomes very difficult to justify penalty corners , I mean the way they are granted. Whenever the ball hits the defending teams’ player’s leg, thigh or shoe within the circle of the goal it is granted to the attacking team  Now , I fail to understand when the ball is played on the ground with hockey stick kissing the turf it can happen many times and hence becomes very easy to obtain. Anytime when I switch on the TV for a hockey match I see players taking up position for penalty corners , now isn’t it becoming too much and some teams are very expert in taking up penalty corners , hence it favors them. Penalty corners are certainly not bad rather it is a distinguishing feature of Field Hockey but excessive of it is costing the game.


Falling Standards



Another major reason is that we are not having enough of quality talent coming for this game. Hockey has been a popular game in these countries and has had a rich heritage like other games.


India , Pakistan , Australia , New Zealand , Argentina , Great Britain, Germany, Holland , South Korea.


As usual India and Pakistan are stuck up in the *daldal *of Cricket with all sorts of idiot politics in it (doing injustice to Wasim *bhai *and Saurav Ganguly) and above all maniac media. Kiwis have started taking up Rugby too seriously with most of the population sticking to it. While Argentines’ love for football is not hidden from anyone and same with UK & Korea.


And hence these countries despite having loads of talent for hockey is unable to lure quality youngsters.


Only Australia , Germany and Holland maintains the standard in this game which truly reflects their true sporting spirit.



Biased Media



That I think is the major culprit , it has got the power but they will not use it. Now I wanna ask these media persons when they are telecasting their Sports show isn’t India’s victory and their qualification into semis of Azlan Shah Tournament at that time a major news rather than doing repeated unnecessary commentary on India’s  preparation for their good for nothing Bangladesh Tour. They are conducting discussions with expert panel but don’t even have time to show two goals which Indian hockey team did against Argentina ????


They don’t even have time to talk to their correspondent in Malaysia. At the same time when India loses wicket , then it become breaking news, an insane girl hugs Dhoni it’s a breaking news  But Hockey sorry “babaji ne shraap diya hai” *even to talk about it for two minutes. Disgusting ………….


Success of sister game



It’s sister game ice hockey continues to dominate North America and is still followed as passion in Canada. Moreover it also played on a large scale in Northern Europe.


Future



Despite all this according to me hockey can’t be written off , we can make out from the success of ice hockey that it’s isn’t that boring , all we need to do is to change the format a bit  , make it more aggressive and more appealing to eyes by adding more attractive features when it comes to presentation. In the sub continent no doubt that it has flopped but if the steps are taken in right direction then it can be revamped. Also we need a bit of luck.


All I can say is that justice hasn’t been delivered to this game of course there are various Lacunas but they can be easily be improved as other countries are busy in other sports I think it’s best chance for India and Pakistan to bring this game back as both of these countries are faring very badly in Cricket now days now all I can hope is for a victory for India in Azlan Shah Cup so that it can help in reinventing the game. But there are miles to go before I sleep……………………….


Do anyone know World Cup is Going On !!??!!
Sep 10, 2006 11:53 AM12417 Views

This is strange. MS is havng a flood of reviews for last couple of weeks. You get reviews on topics like advice on selecting chimney, or a review of a film that even DD's regional channel will refuse to air even in off-peak hours - but a game like hockey, the national game of Inda (dont tell me its 'kabaddi') a game in which India has won 8 olympic gold, easily the sport in which the country has an all time great historical past , is hardly talked about. More annoyingly , the world cup is going on, and still , I have not come across any review on the topic !


This is just to update you that India has performed disappointedly so far, has lost two matches in the group , drawed their match with South Africa yesterday and are almost out of the race and has to relay on luck to be in the last fore. Its lying right at the bottom of its group and has to depend on a lot of permutation and combination to make it into semis. Honestly they should be in the semis, for their performance has beeen below rated.


The fav amoung the teams are Holland, Australia and Host Germany, with Pak being the dark horse along with Spain.


I would have loved to write more but am not feeling enough enthu inside :(


Would aprreciate if we can see a couple of more reviews on the topic ...


Mysore India
So near Yet so far
Jun 23, 2006 05:14 PM11926 Views

Azalan shah hockey tourament had 8 teams participating. the teams were split into two groups. India, Korea, Austalia and host Malaysia were in group A and pakistan, Holland, Argentina and New zealand were in group B.


Now after semifinals today, the finals will be played between Holland V Australia and for 3rd place playoff between India and New Zealand.


India from 2003 have not played played well at the major tournaments. But this time after many years put up a spirited performance in Hockey at Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament. They Played well in league matches, even after losing first match to australia they qualified for semifinals. This was the first tournament since 2003 they had made it to the semifinals. But today in semifinal they lost to Holland by a narrow margin 1-0. They were so near to qualify for finals..but yet became so far. Hope they will win bronze by playin well against new zealand. They had defeated New zealand in warm up matches. So they will the confidence of doing well. Hope the put up a spirited fight and performance.all the best. Good show team India.


YOUR RATING ON

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Once Upon A Time.
Jul 18, 2005 02:12 PM7225 Views

Once upon a time HOCKEY was the pride of Indian Sport’s & today what is it & where is it. I really feel bad looking at the state of this game today in our country. There use to be a time when the entire world was afraid to play INDIA in the first round of any tournament, coz it would be their last match of the tournament. Today countries like Spain, Argentina, Japan, and Egypt are beating us with a margin of 1:0 or may be 4:0.


I remember a game where India was playing Great Britan in some tournament and the Queen was also present to watch the match. Dhyanchand was leading the team. Even before the half time India was leading by a score of 11:0 & finally the match had to be stopped by the order of the Queen. The hockey stick of Dhyanchand was also inspected to find out if there was any glue in it or it had something in it as the ball seems to be sticking to it. We have also won the world cup & we are the only nation to have WON the Gold Medal in this game for the maximum number of times in Olympics. The last time we won a medal in Olympics in this game was in 1980 in Moscow.


There could be a number of reasons for the down fall of this game in our country which are:-




  1. Lack of Infrastructure to play this game.




  2. Lack of Re-cognation to the individuals in this game.




  3. No motivation for playing this game.




  4. No Sponsors for this game




  5. No monetary benefit in this game.






Our Nation has produced Great’s like Dhyanchand, Ashok Kumar, Zafar Iqbal, MD.Shahid, Mukesh Kumar, Dhanraj Pillai, Jagbir Singh, Pargat Singh and so on the list goes on & on, but where are these players today.


When I say lack of motivation I mean there is nothing from the nation’s side to help these players after they have served the nation for so many years. I remember some years back I had in the news paper that a player’s child had to under go a surgery & he needed some funds for the same. He was still playing a tournament for the country & by far he was a star in the team. The government or the governing body or the association did not provide him with any help for the treatment of his child. He then took the retirement from the game.


If you see the average cricket player get an amount of Rs.1lac for an ODI, what does a Hockey player get for a match is 100$ per day. Is this comparison justified? We share the same position in the world ranking in both the sports, Cricketers live a lavish life & a hockey player lives in a Chawl. Why would some one want to sweat for such a small bit, but there are still people who do that coz they have that passion for the game or the country.


Today the world is playing hockey on Astroturf & we still have or major of the tournaments are conducted on Grass Turf. So how do you expect to the players to perform on the international level tournaments.


I heard that one of our recent hockey starts had said that “ He will want his child to play Hockey in this country” It was bcoz of the treatment they received from the airport authorities after they came back from a tournament & to tell you they had WON that tournament.


So you tell me why would not the standard of this game go down in our country if this is the way the GAME & its players are treated.


I guess the Association needs to take some serious steps to improve the standard of our Hockey & not indulge into small things like what the players are doing after their practice sessions. The President of the IHF (Indian Hockey Federation) needs to understand the need & step down from the post if he cannot do anything to improve the status or the standards of our National Sport.


Pros:- Get back to the Victory Stand & get our lost pride back in this Game


Cons:- Then we will vanish from the map of Hockey & We will only be telling our Grand Children that our country use to be No.1 in this Game ONCE UPON A TIME.


Premier Hockey League: Hockey never had it better
Feb 14, 2005 02:45 PM4081 Views

Started about a month back on 13th January, this was the beginning and fruition of three years of efforts of Indian Hockey Federation chief KPS Gill, ESPN, Star Sports as well as LSM (Leisure Sports Management).


The PHL consists of two Tiers; Tier I, also called “Premier League”, with professional, experienced players and Tier II, also named as “First Division”, with fresh, new talented players in the Hockey.


Tier I teams are:


1. Sher-e-Jallandhar,




  1. Maratha Warriors,




  2. Chennai Veerans,




  3. Hyderabad Sultans,




  4. Bangalore Hi-flyers






Tier II teams are:


1. Delhi Dazzlers,




  1. Lucknow Nawabs,




  2. Imphal Rangers,




  3. Bengal Tigers,




  4. Chandigrah Dynamos






The matches are to be played in the round-robin format wherein each team plays the other twice. Instead of two halves, the matches feature four quarters of 17-1/2 minutes each, with 3 breaks, 2.5 minutes after first and third half and 5 minutes after second half.


There won’t be any draws in these matches and an extended time of 15 minutes with the number of players reducing form normal 11 to 9 in the first 5 minutes and then 7 in the next 10 minutes. This is for more result-oriented game.


Sonu Nigam, the famous singer has recorded the PHL Anthem under the direction of Sandesh Shandliya. It’s a great number and actually quite vibrant and full of energy, like the game itself.


Yesterday, Hyderabad Sultans won the first PHL Tier I title, defeating the shers of Jallandhar (actually, this is my team) with a 2-1 goal score. The PHL matches were held at Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad and the audience was fabulous, fantastic and appreciative of the game and the kind of cheering and applaud was there, it seemed just out-of-world as Hockey has never attracted as much attention as in the last month in PHL.


Three cheers for such a crowd, who were not only enjoying the game but also making the game more enjoyable for those watching it on Star Sports. I honestly wish to thank Hyderabad for supporting and showing so much love for Hockey.


Aimed at increasing the popularity, boosting the morality of the players and even giving the game a more fast-paced edge, this seemed to be a successful affair and I hope, it will continue doing that for the coming years.


In the country, where not many people are even aware that Hockey is our National Game, not to talk about the game itself, this seemed to be good time and great effort. I hope it is able to achieve the same significance as American Baseball League has reached for Baseball in America, as PHL is based on almost the same format.


And last but not the least, there are foreign players, from Pakistan, Spain, also who participated in the game, giving the game more international appeal. The goal-keeper of Hyderabad Sultans is Alam from Pakistan and he did a marvellous job in defending his side.


I dedicate my review to all those who came forward for this brilliant beginning of this wonderful game. I wish and hope and pray that Hockey recaptures its glory, again reaches its status as gold medal winning game and even rekindles the interests of new generation of youngsters, who although have begun to see beyond cricket, but still don’t look at Hockey.


city of blinding lights India
Hockey ReLoaded
Jan 29, 2005 10:28 PM3712 Views

The Professional Hockey League


It’s been 2 weeks since the PHL started in Hyderabad and now it has reached an exciting stage.


What is PHL???


Professional Hockey League is a new exciting format of Hockey! It promises to make hockey interesting. An encouraging effort to make hockey popular in a Cricket mad country. It’s Hockey Reloaded n Remixed. Gone are the days when a game of hockey was played in 2 halfs with 10/15 mins of half time. Teams used to play till the hooter, result or not, shake hands and walk back to the team bench. This often resulted in draws. But not any more, the PHL guarantees there is a result to every match! The format has been changed to make it result oriented. People want winners and losers, and not a drawn match! A touch of glamour is also added to make it more appealing. You have floodlit matches, cheerleaders, foreign players, TV coverage, sponsorship - PHL has got it all.


Rules


Each PHL match is played in 4 quarters instead of the traditional 2 halfs. Each quarter is of 17.5 minutes. If theres no result at the end of regular time, the match does not end in a draw, instead it goes into extra time. The teams then go into the extra time, which is played in 2 halfs of 17.5 minutes each. They battle it out till the end of the second extratime half. Still no result? No problems! Take it to the Penalty Shootout and slog it out till someone cracks under pressure or the goalie makes an awesome save. And We have got a Winner! The coach can call for a time out- probably 1 or 2 minutes, if his team looks like its going to blow away a lead or has made a mess of a good penalty corner - Another interesting rule.


Teams


The PHL is divided into 2 tiers, Tier 1 - with all the top players and Tier 2 - with new talent. Currently there are only 5 teams in each tier, however we may see more additions to each tier in the following seasons.


Tier 1 teams -> Maratha Warriors- My Team, Sher-e-Jallandhar, Hyderabad Sultans, Chennai Veransand Bangalore Hi-Fliers.


Tier 2 teams -> Delhi Dazzlers, Chandigadh Dynamos, Imphal Rangers, Bengal Tigersand Lucknow Nawabs.


Each team has players from the India Hockey team along with some internationl players. The fans get to see stars like Gagan Ajit, D.Pillay, Viren Rasquinha, Dilip Tirkey- India captain, penalty corner expert, Sohail Abbas(Pakistan), Kashif Jawad (Pakistan), Juan Pablo Escarre (Spain) - The captain of the Champions Trophy winner Spain Team, etc.


The Future


How long will the PHL bubble last? It’s too early to predict anything, but I am sure the PHL will grow and include many more teams, new rules etc. This is a great effort to popularise Hockey, and probably a hunting ground for new talent, one goalie, one drag flicker, one forward to be unearthed by the end of the tournament! Thats asking for too much, isn’t it?


Plus points :


> This could generate interest in hockey, plenty of people I know already converted!


> Corporate Sponsorship = Money - the players deserve it.


> Chance to become recognised faces, too few in hockey at the moment.


> Chance for the fans to watch their heros in action.


Minus points :


> Needs to include more teams.


> More venues, currently only in Hyderabad.


> Players still not treated well - there were reports of bad accomodation to players.


All we can hope for is for the PHL to grow and continue beyond this season and entertain us. And find new players!


Thanks for reading my review.


-: P.S Do we need cricket players to promote our hockey league? :-


Premier hockey league
Jan 25, 2005 03:51 PM3587 Views

Hockeywas one sport in which india enjoyed complete domination until early eighties however after introduction of astroturf and scientific training methods which are not available here have condemed India to a poor position today which has led to falling of interest among masses.


Indian hockey federation hence inorder to review interest of public and to sex up game has started premier hockey league in collaboration with ESPN Star Sports.


It premier hockey league is mainly played between ten teams divided into two tiers. Tier one consist of mararatha warriors,sher e jallandar,hyderabad sultans,chennai veerans and bangalore hifliers.


It has also brought rule changes and introduced new concepts like time outand has fiercely marketed it and, time outs and introduction of foreign stars have made this league commercially viable.


Premier hockey till know has been pretty exciting as all the five teams are evenly matched. It however remains to be whether this league works with masses or just disintegrates like national football league.


Hockey Fever
Aug 04, 2004 09:33 AM3289 Views

During this years playoffs for the Stanley cup, people were heart broken when the Toronto Maple Leafs lost against Philadelphia. I was not a crazy hockey fan until I started watching the playoffs. Many people may also want to know the reason why? Well for starters all hockey teams influence people to go crazy over them.


Most of the time people end up heart broken over losses. Although one thing that can describe hockey would be addictive. Me? I only watch hockey during the playoffs to cheer on the Leafs (I guess you can say that I am an on and off person). What drives me crazy is the fact that I know the leafs have been losing for a long time and going crazy over something can really hurt if it doesn't go your way.


Rumour had it during the playoffs that there would be no playoffs in the year of 2005 and some of the best players from the TML (Toronto Maple Leafs) were going to leave ex. Matt Sundin, Belfour, etc. Hockey is a passion that many Canadians have.


No matter whether it is in the Olympics (which Canada won in for both the men and women teams) or in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It is the pride of many Canadians (and that is reallly weird coming from me because I was never the kind of person who cheered on the Leafs or any other teams). I really think that the Calgary Flames deserved a huge round of applause because they went so far in the Stanley cup playoffs of 2003.


I can't wait until next year because once again hockey fever will be on!!!! LETS GO LEAFS, LETS GO!


Constantinopple India
Hockey can be better!
Jul 02, 2004 12:07 AM4279 Views

INTRODUCTION


I had not been a Hockey fan, but I still like this game as it is very quick and agile. This game is the national game of both India nad Pakistan. I don't know about the conditions in Pakistan, but in India, this game is not having enough importance. I can't understand why they made this the Indian national game if it is not the most played and watched game in India? The Indian performance in Hockey too has been poor. Their great defeats include their last loss to Pakistan by 6-1 which is quite horrifying for all Indian Hockey fans.


HISTORY


The game of Hockey has a long history. The word 'Hockey' came from the French word 'Hoquet' which was a curly stick used by the early shepherds. There had been games similiar to Hockey in ancient civilizations all over the world. The modern hockey took it's origin in England long time ago. The current rules of Hockey originated in 1889. Then there were the origin of a large number of hockey clubs all around England. After the first international match in 1907 between England and France, there had been matches between Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, India, Pakistan etc. Indian hockey was very much influenced by the British.


RULES


There are much similiarities in this game with foot ball. One of the eleven players is the goal keeper while the others include attackers, midfielders and defenders. The game takes place for about seventy minutes which is divided into two halves of thirty five minutes each with a small interval between them. There is also chance for extra time and penaity shootout just like in foot ball. The length of the hockey stick is between 86 and 94 centimetres. The curved part of the stick is called blade. The ball should be taken with the flat side of the bat only. No one except the goal keeper is allowed to touch the ball with anything except the stick. The length of a hockey ground is 300 fts and width 180 fts. The goal should be hit from within the striking circle drawn just infront of the goal post. The hockey ball is white in colour with a circumference of 23 cm and a weight of 160 gms. The fouls are counted almost like in foot ball.


WORLD CUP


As long as world cups of hockey are concerned, there had been ten of them so far.


1971 - Pakistan bt Spain


1973 - Holland bt India


1975 - India bt Pakistan


1978 - Pakistan bt Holland


1982 - Pakistan bt Germany


1986 - Australia bt England


1990 - Holland bt Pakistan


1994 - Pakistan bt Holland


1998 - Holland bt Spain


2002 - Germany bt Australia


EVOLUTION


The hockey is quite different from what it was in the earlier periods. Another form of field hockey is ice hockey which very much quicker and is played on ice with the skates on. The game started in Canada and it is a part of Olympics from 1920. I forgot to mention the fact that field hockey too is a part of Olympics. In ice hockey, there are six players playing for one hour if my calculations are right. The ground has only 60m length and 26m width. A disc is used instead of the hockey ball and the sticks are lengthier than those in field hockey. Coming back to field hockey, women's hockey was also started with the first match taking place in 1887. From 1980 Moscow Olympics, women's hockey too was a part of Olympics.


THANK YOU FOR READING THE REVIEW. YOUR COMMENTS ON THE REVIEW ARE WELCOME. PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO RATE THE REVIEW.


Tom and Jerry of Indian Hockey: Pillai and Gill
Jun 30, 2004 03:07 PM4167 Views

The Indian hockey is suffering. No doubt about it. Tom and Jerry like behavior of KPS Gill and Dhanaraj Pillai may make Indian hockey team to log off from the world's hockey arena.


Wacccccccccckkkkkkkkkk. It’s pathetic to see the performance of Indian hockey team. The teams which held its glory for long years is giving a shabby performance continuously. This team is sick and may not get any improvements at all. And believe me we may not be figuring in medal tally at all, forget dreaming about the yellow metal.


The captain: Dhanaraj Pillai, wants to be identified as Sachin of hockey has failed miserably in bringing the morale of the team. He should have learnt it from Pargat. Under the turban man's captaincy, Indian hockey may not have created history but as a team they were splendid. Pargat's great win against Aussies (trailing from 1-5 and then winning it!) remain the best hockey that we have played in last 3 decades. People do cherish that win again and again. Dhanaraj need not look at legends or god men of hockey like 'Dhyanchand', but people like 'Pargat'. If Pillai spends time on the ground and leave all other stuff out of ground, may be we can win a metal if not yellow.


The President: KPS Gill, man who wore rough clothes and lanky shoes hasn't cooled down at all. This bugger looks like the cancer of Indian hockey, but this old man has done little wonders to Indian hockey. If he can cherish the team’s confidence to the highest level, his last few days as president and human being will be satisfactory.


Captain and President of Indian Hockey should understand that they are supposed to play our national game and the pride of all Indian nationals is at stake.


Its time that these two stop playing hide and seek like Tom and Jerry and make Team India happen at Indian Hockey and win a metal in Olympics.


Hockey- Time to regain our past glory
Oct 02, 2003 05:48 PM3871 Views

India's Achievement in the Hockey has given us the hope to regain our past glory. India's victory in Australia and Gemany, recently won Asia Cup are the great examples of our talent in this game. Most importantly the presence of Dhanraj Pillay in our team is a great boost to other players. Though India is a good team now but still it has to improve a lot. It has to show the consistancy in winning against good team. It's a good time for Hockey to divert the nation's interest towards it ,from the dominance of cricket. Though I like cricket but I fill and also others, that lot of over importance is given to this game and hence other sports are ignored. As Dhanraj Pillay made a comment that Hockey has not been given importance as to the cricket, but I fill that now it's the time for Hockey to show that ''hum bhi kuch kam nahi''. Hence further if Indian Hockey keeps achieving ,I think ,that day is not far when people will be crazy about Hockey, taking over the dominance of cricket. Hence forward the Indians though victorious they should concentrate on their weaknesses and holding their nerves for winning the matches.


I wish them all the best.


madurai india
Indian hockey
Aug 24, 2003 12:51 AM3457 Views

Title : Indian hokey comes alive


Review : As most of you are aware ,hockey is our national game.Indians were the masters of this game,in the thirty, forties and fifties ,till we allowed the europeans to learn and understand the game.In fact they got so much ahead of us that ,we had to start to learn from them!Astroturf, new rules to the game, all in favour of the europeans.And so Indian hockey started to decline . So much so that it was relegated to the lowest rungs of international hockey. We did have our sporadic victories like in the aslan shah cup in kulalampur,(sorry I don't remember which year!!)and mostly concequntial tourneys. Suffice to say India was not a contender of the top slot. Well now times have changed .Our boys mean business .They are raring to go! They have won Asean tourney and though they are not having such a good time at the champions trophy , their drubbing of pakistan by 7-4 is something they/we are going to cherish for a long time!i wish we have more corporate support to hockey too,for these players have lead india to glory in the past and I am sure will continue to do so with the right encouragement.


Hockey!!! Now what in the world does that mean????
Jul 23, 2003 03:32 PM3562 Views

The state of Indian hockey is plightful . People seem to ignore our hockey stars . Except for Dhanraj pillay, Do even 50% of indian know the name of any other hockey player??? Only cricket seems to get the nessessary funds.


A tiny country like germany & netherland can have over 50 international std. stadiums then why not us??? Is it that v lack the nessessary funds or that dosent get the nessessary attention it deserves?? May be both r true.


If our golden run continues(I hope it does) till champions trophy, ther one could expect some respite for our hockey stars . May they bring the trophy and then proceed for athens olympic.Jai dhanraj pillai.(I dont know any othe player)


Hockey was in my blood
Jul 21, 2003 12:06 AM4014 Views

Blue blood lineage! If one’s father was a hockey blue why could not the son follow in his footsteps? Well I was definitely impressed with the hockey stick kept in one corner of the bedroom. It made me think of the exploits of my father on the hockey field. My father used to talk with great reverence about the magical hockey wizardry of the great Indian hockey player Dhyan Chand. He used to be full of pride because of our world supremacy in hockey during his time.


I got a chance to play hockey in my school in the sports hours. I played for one of the the houses out of yellow, red, green and blue. I was tried in different positions but one position stuck with me and that was of a forward. Playing some fast games with the men of the Gorkha Brigade in their ground, made a lot of difference in my game. I became a dangerous forward. A goal would become a certainty if the ball was with me. The only way for the opposite goalkeeper to ward off my goal would be to strike wildly at my feet or body causing many injuries. Once I had to be on the bed for about a month when his stick took my ankle with great force. Another time I escaped with a cut above my eye. Initially I thought that the stick had hit my eye as blood filled it, just as I was about to put the ball in to the goal.


The opposite goalkeeper was under threat of rustication from school because of a lack of sportsmanship spirit, but he was my friend and I took his side saying that the hit was not deliberate but in the heat of the moment due to excitement.


When I joined another school in the plains far down in the east coast of India, I did play some hockey but then my attention shifted to cricket and I left playing hockey.


Now when I think of hockey I find that the game of hockey is very fast. One has to be physically fit. One should be able to run fast and sideways and forwards and dribble.


One has to anticipate correctly the moves of the opposition. Even if you are perspiring with sweat, your heart is thumping and some joint or muscle is paining because of the sudden twists and turns or due to being hit by the ball or the hockey or bumping into another player or tripped or pushed or due to your own clumsiness one has to be ready and alert and active and correct in the moves and the decision to pass the ball and to whom or to go back or sideways or forward or tackle or go for a long pass etc.


One has to go on learning from ones mistakes and from the good game of others who are better than us in some particular area or technique or planning of the game, but fast.


Then there is need for coordination and proper understanding between the team members. And finally a determination to win with mental aspects of the game needing full attention e.g. the development of the ability to take correct decisions on the spur of the moment even when under all kinds of physical and mental fatigue and stress on the field during a crucial game ,and convert the same in to a correct hockey action.


I would not like to comment on the present sate of our hockey (I am neither a politician or official nor an expert coach) but would like to wish the Indian team the best so that they really act as a team along with individual geniuses doing their part and do not rest until the team and or individual’s efforts results in their ‘’planting the flag of victory’’ once again in the world arena consistently.


Hockey-national game of india(a big joke)
Jul 20, 2003 12:14 PM4082 Views

Hockey-the national game of india.Welcome to the HARSH reality.Yes hockey is the national game of india and I think more than 50% of the population is unawre of this fact due to the fact that this has been overshawdowed by the monster game called cricket.There were no sponsors of the game and the only thing which it survived on was the government grants given to IHF.The worst part of the story is that a hockey player officially gets only 10$ per game and u can imagine a guy practising in scroching heat,practicing for like 8 hours a day and getting only 10$.No wonder there are no more children to take up hockey as a professional game thanks to the popularity of the game(sarcasm)


But the recent performances in sydney and hamburg have changed the pictured all together.Not only the wins in these huge tournaments have helped the indian team win laurels but has also helped in getting them a sponsor which matters a lot.All the credit for this goes to the president of IHF K.P.S.GILL who has revived a killing spirit in the team.


The story doesnt end here now after thier back to back wins they have even been approached by corporats for some endorsements.Finally the corporates are looking beyond baby faces and icons and are crediting people who really deserve to be the national heros.


India is back !!!
Jul 18, 2003 12:07 AM4821 Views

''Hockey is our national game !''. Sick and tired of hearing this comment ? Well, frankly speakin', I am too. Well, cricket is the undisputed, most popular sport ever played in India. Its got something that binds the whole country together. People invariably tend to forget their sorrows, their misfortunes, thier differences whether they are economical, religious, political or of any other sort, when they are engrossed in watching a cricket match. We are all familiar with the rush thats caused outside shops which have TVs when theres a cricket match going on. Every man, old or young, rich or poor, good or evil, absolutely loves the moment when Sachin is out on the pitch, doin' his thing. We are all out there, on the streets when we see our country winning. We are all overjoyed at the same time, doesn't matter if the man of the day was Sachin or Zaheer or Harbhajan. See, the religious boundaries just don't matter. And this is very important in a multi-ethnic country like India which is very prone to communalistic violence. Cricket is a common binding thread. The question then is, 'Why not make cricket the national game?'.


The answer to this question is really not very easy. I would absolutely love it if someone...anyone, ever came up with a satisfying enough answer to that. But when we consider all things above, the thing that we do forget is that Hockey is the game that started out as the most popular when India became independent. Right now, the immense popularity of cricket in our country could be somewhat associated with the fact that the greatest player laying the game belongs to our country. That man, obviously, is Sachin Tendulkar. Probably thats not the only reason, but it definitely is one. Comparing that to the circumstances in Hockey, we have had a certain bloke called Dhyanchand who, in his heydays was even more undisputed than Sachin as the best player in the world in his own sport. That was the time that Hockey enjoyed immense popularity in India. The wizard of Indian hockey is still remembered in all parts of the world where hockey is, or ever was played. The amazing skills that the man possessed were never equalled and that is the reason why he was a huge celebrity in India as well as the world.


That was the time when hockey enjoyed the place that cricket has today. that was the time that an average everyday kid would dream of being a hockey player rather than a cricketer. The major reason for popularity of any sport in a country, I guess is the international success of the country in that game. Thats the reason why soccer is the most popular sport in England, and not cricket. Also, soccer is not the most popular in USA because their international team is not the best (even though they are way way ahead than India in that respect). That time, India won a lot of Olympic medals and lots of other major gigs which made sure that a whole generation of Indians was hooked to the game. But as the standard kept falling and the successes kept withering, the popularity started dipping. We now had a situation where hockey came up at a distant number in a kid's list of sports that he'd like to play. All said and done, the times are changing now.


Now, we again have the world's best hockey player in Dhanraj Pillay in our team (though there may be people who'd dispute the fact). Even though he may not be a match for the legendary Dhyanchand, he still is easily the most skilled player on a hockey field in today's era. He is an absolute wizard of his own caliber. Now, we again have someone to look up to on a hockey field. The times are changing as I said, and it seems as if the fish market of sorts that the Indian hockey team had become, is getting back into order. The coach seems to have a good rapport with his boys and we are winning tournaments and even those involving the best teams. I hope the changed times are here to stay. I hope hockey re-emerges as the great game that it once was and it regains the special place in our hearts as it once did in the hearts of our old grandparents and their ancestors (!!).


We all hope that Dhanraj can lead his young mates to re-conquer the position that hockey once held. The position, that made the statement a fact...''Hockey is our national game.''.


India is back!
Jul 15, 2003 04:54 PM3635 Views

If Sachin Tendulkar is Super Human in Cricket, so is Dhanraj Pillay in Indian Hockey, the most underplayed superstar just coz he happens to be in a sport that is our pseudo national game!


If any one of u happened to see the games our team played, u wld have been gasping with breath with the quality, aggressiveness and that killer instinct that seems to be lacking in any average indian. Not to miss the superb stick work of Pillay, the modern Dhyan Chand. For teh first time, I never saw them panting in between the game, they were fast and aggressive, take for instance a minor scuffle between indian and pakistani players in a league match, where Pillay had to intervene to stop an Indian player from bashing up a Paki.Wow!:)


With two successive tournament wins, India is riding high. But I will rate them as probable World Champions if they can beat two teams, Netherlands for their opportunistic play and South korea for their amazing pace.


Best of luck to Dhanraj and team,may the lost glory be found again!


A wonderful game!
Jul 07, 2003 12:11 PM3670 Views

Hockey is a wonderful game- fast, action packed and when two good teams are on song, its really edge of the seat stuff.


India after dominating the scene for almost 40 years till the 60s, could not maintain their level after that. Though they won the '75 world cup and the '80 Olympic games they were not doing well in big tournaments particularly the world cups and the olympics.


But all said and done this is one sport where India if not the best, is certainly a power to reckon with in the international arena, as has been exemplified by their recent triumphs in Australia and Germany. The hockey India plays is also fascinating to watch. If they can combine their stickwork with fitness and stamina of the Eurpopeans they will indeed the ''team to beat''. At present they seem to be heading in the right direction with fine blend of experience and youth in their team. They will surely make the game of hockey more popular, not only in India but all over the world.


Hockey To The Puck
Jul 03, 2003 09:02 PM3327 Views

As a young boy I grew up with Hockey, the NHL.


My step father was a hockey fan especially when it came to


the Toronto Maple Leafs.


I got in the sport also.


First it was the Maple Leafs, then the Red Wings.


The most of all, Boston Bruins.


I liked to watch Gordie Howe play from the Red Wings, from the Boston Bruins, Bobby Orr.


These two are my idols.


I used to collect hockey cards and every time my father went to fill up on gasoline at a near by ESSO gas station I collected the mini-cards from various teams,


I collected some stuff from cereal boxes also, remember the Sugar-Crisp or Honey Combs when you collected the tiny


puck and the white hockey plastic stick.


I collected them also.


Now, the idols have retired.


I still watch the Toronto play against the Boston Bruins and


I hope they win. They do.


I can't play Hockey on ice, I have weak ankles.


I like to play street Hockey.


The game on the street is more ruff than on ice.


Because you on ice you slide more frequently than on pavement.


I find it to be a good sport to participate in.


SLAAAPPPPP !!!!!! Wake up from that looooong slee
Jul 22, 2002 01:29 AM5587 Views

As a true piscean, I love daydreaming, and one of my favorite dreams is I having a cane in my hand and a liberty to whip anybody I wish. After a long queue of scoundrals (ie Our Great politicians) the first ones from the sports feild would be our Hockey administrators. And I would whip them hard n Strong till they mend their ways or I hurt myself, and Im pretty confident of their shamelessness and am sure to hurt myself. Its really hard to beleive that we were undisputed champs of this wonderful game and having won, EIGHT olympic titles at a strech, today we have to play world cup & Olympic qualifiers to make sure of a spot in the respective tournaments.


They say its losing its popularity, but why? Why has this super game lost its popularity? A question they must ask themselves. I personally think, its a game which requires more skills than football, and demands better stratergies as the playing feild is much smaller than football.


How many people know that India holds the record for highest margin of victory in the history of Feild Hockey? We beat USA 24-1, yes read that 24-1 in 1928 Olympics. And after that, we went on to clinch 8 consecetive Olympic Hockey titles. Where has that glory gone? Our players are not motivated, our coaches are always complaining. A few months back I read in a sports weekly that the upcomming players did not take it seriously because they were not sure of their careers. They are still served Milk and Gulucose biscuts in training camps!!!! That is something we dont even feed our kids these days. The administators are making merry at the cost of the game. They say Indias non playing contignent for any Hockey championship is larger than its players. Everyone from the manager level, to the secy attend the tournaments with their wives and kids ... pathetic. And the worst part is that the Govt turns a blind eye as usual. We hear a new coach appointed every 6 months. Players being axed for raising their voices, the most recent being Dhanraj pillay & Co. And consider this ...... its Indias NATIONAL SPORT


No wonder the top talents of the country are more happy playing league games in France and Japan. Its said that we lack a killer instinct, why? Thats because mentally the players are not secured. Instead of wasting money on organizing summer camps for hockey which rarely serves any purpose, the administrators must do something to restore the players confidence by giving them financial security, getting sponsorships from bigger companies. The government has to intervene here and keep a strict watch on the dvelopments of the Hockey federation. Mind you this is not impossible as if it can happen in Pakistan,it can be implemented here also. Even if half of attention that Cricket attracts is paid to Hockey we shall see an unbeleivable change in Indias Hockey fortunes.


I pray for the magical revival of this great game.


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